Why Raitha Shakti
Tractors, tillers, diesel pump-sets and harvesters dominate field operations across Karnataka, and fuel is one of the biggest cash costs of cultivation. Raitha Shakti was announced in the Karnataka Budget 2022-23 (March 2022, CM Basavaraj Bommai) as India's first state-wide per-acre diesel subsidy — a direct cash offset for the fuel burnt in farm mechanisation, paid through the FRUITS farmer registry. After the May 2023 change of government, however, the scheme received no allocation in the revised July 2023 budget, and no fresh disbursal has been officially confirmed since (see status timeline below).
Quantum
- ₹250 per acre per year, capped at 5 acres — maximum ₹1,250 / farmer.
- Paid as single DBT to the Aadhaar-seeded bank account linked to the farmer's FRUITS profile.
- Allocations: ₹500 cr in Budget 2022-23 (announcement); ₹400 cr in the February 2023 budget. The July 2023 revised budget and later budgets made no allocation.
Eligibility
- Karnataka farmer with a registered FRUITS Farmer ID (FID) on fruits.karnataka.gov.in (Karnataka's AgriStack-aligned beneficiary registry).
- Holds agricultural land in their own name — acreage is taken from the Bhoomi (RTC) records linked to the FRUITS profile.
- Subsidy computed on actual holding, capped at 5 acres. Fuel use is for farm operations (tractor, tiller, pump-set and other diesel machinery) — no fuel bills or pump proof are demanded.
How the benefit is claimed — step by step
- Ensure your FRUITS Farmer ID is generated — Bhoomi (RTC) is auto-fetched into the FRUITS profile. Register at the nearest Raitha Samparka Kendra if you have no FID yet.
- No separate application — the Agriculture Department identifies eligible farmers directly from FRUITS land records.
- Confirm your bank account is Aadhaar-seeded (NPCI mapped); DBT fails without it.
- When a disbursal round runs, ₹250/acre × recorded acreage (max 5 acres) is credited via DBT.
Status timeline (2022 — 2026)
- March 2022: Announced in Karnataka Budget 2022-23 with a ₹500 cr provision — ₹250/acre, max 5 acres, via FRUITS DBT.
- January — February 2023: First DBT round released by CM Bommai to 45+ lakh farm families.
- February 2023: ₹400 cr provided in the (pre-election) 2023-24 budget.
- July 2023: The new government's revised 2023-24 budget made no allocation for Raitha Shakti; Deccan Herald reported ~56 lakh farmers stood to lose the subsidy.
- 2024 — 2026: Subsequent state budgets do not mention the scheme and no fresh disbursal has been officially confirmed. The scheme has not been formally wound up — we therefore list it as paused. Treat third-party "apply online 2025/2026" pages with caution and verify at your Raitha Samparka Kendra.
Common DBT-failure reasons
- FRUITS FID missing or inactive: single biggest cause; create / update the profile at the Raitha Samparka Kendra.
- Bhoomi (RTC) mismatch: name on land record differing from Aadhaar.
- Aadhaar — bank seeding failure: DBT credit fails on NPCI side.
Grievance: Raitha Samparka Kendra → Block Agriculture Officer → Joint Director Agriculture → Karnataka Sakala system. State agriculture helpline: 1800-425-3553.
Coverage statistics
The only officially confirmed disbursal round (early 2023) credited the subsidy to 45+ lakh farm families out of an eligible base of ~56 lakh FRUITS-registered farmers, against the ₹400 — 500 cr provisioned in the 2022-23 and February 2023 budgets. No verified beneficiary or outlay figures exist for any later year; district-wise figures for 2022-23 appear in Karnataka Vidhana Sabha replies.
How Raitha Shakti stacks with other schemes
Raitha Shakti pairs with Krishi Bhagya — farm-pond water still needs a diesel pump to deliver, and machinery fuel is a cost in every operation from tillage to harvest. PM-KUSUM Component B replaces diesel pumps with solar; PM-KISAN provides ₹6,000/year cash; Anna Bhagya provides consumption- side support. Tenant farmers without RTC in their name do not appear in FRUITS land records and were outside the disbursed round.